Tank-car.



C. FLINN.

TANK GAR.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT..14,1911.

Patented D60. 29, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

fall/111111110111101 INVENTOR WlTN ESSES ATTORNEY C. PLINN.

TANK GAR.

APPLIOATION FILED sEPT.14,1911.

1,122,378. Patented Dee. 29, 1914 4 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

o [T-i o o lo@ o O lo O N WN QQ W ITN ESSES IN VENTOR ATTORN EY C. PLINN.

TANK GAB..

APPLICATION FILED sBPT.v14,1911.

1,1 22,378. Patented De@- 29, 1914 4 SEBETS'v-BHBET L.

wnNEssEs y ByC' @S/Ll.

ATTORNEY INVENTOR new s e l.

To all whom may; cof/@oem Be it known that l, Cnnisrornnn resiingz et Terre Haute, Vigo eountyn diana, and being sitizen of 'the United States, have invented 'oe-tain new en. liseiui improve-ments in the following is a ifi-ill, ol-ear, and exact esoription, suon as wili enable others skiilefi in the art to which it epperteins to make and iise the seine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Wlicli iliustrate the preferred forni of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the en et iieteils of oonstrnction shown and fieserioefl, es it is ooi/'ions 'that Various niodiioations thereof will @cour to persons skilled in tiie in said drawings: TFigure l is e side elerational View of o tenk cer oonstruoteei in accordance with this invention, the trucks being @mitte-fl. Fig. 2 is :i top pian rief. parte being broken away and shown i a tion on the. plane line- 2-2 of j Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional View teken on the plane or iine 3-3 oi Fig. l. Fig. i is e. further enlorgecl fragmentary elevational View, pertiy in section, or one ofthe tank supports anni soif jacent parte. Fig. 5 is enlarged fleteii sectional View teken on e. piene of line 5-5 of Fi". 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through tiie underfrene ernployeci, Seial section being teken substantiallg.7 on the plane of line @-5 of Fig. and Fig. Tis an inverted plan View oi' one of the tank supports and .its oonnections with the under side of the tank, the nnderfra-me being omitted.

This invention relates to tank car con struction and is particularly esigne to overcome the riestructive effects incident to the coupling oi oars and to other similar collisions. It provides that the tank shell have a limited and easy motion longitudinaiiy oi the iwderfrerne for ensorhim? smh shocks, and'it is so esignec that-the Weig -o the tank, and of the lading carried thereby, is utilized to limit the elasticity of the connection between tank and underreme.

In the peferi'ecl structure illustrated the y tank l is provided, at each end, with' a pair of saddle brackets as 2 2, they vbeing fixed to the under surface of the tank upon opposite sides of the medien line thereof.

Tank-Cars, o which' Y @they brackets 2 may be eositionedintermediate is c'lesired. 'n en I upper lange es oi the tank, nnil.fe i is eonnecte eno' `:' A e e v tie niet@ o logins of rlie portions of t.

velieri, 'through 2* the se freine.. 'eliese connecti no iientieai at each of the saddle brackets one oni? need. be described. in es olioies: it

the lower outer corner oi" eeen of the sedle brackets 2 is formed :i socket as 9 adapted to receive a seperately formed pin or trunnion l0, a suitabielooking pin ll being employed for preventing acoidentel `displiceinent of seid trunnion. Y'

A. bea-ring :is-l2 ormefl et the lower enll of e. link 13 is adapted to receive the trunmon-10, saidiink being iormed, at its upper end, with e. bearing l adapted to receive a trunnion 15 projecting from the elilergecl need l?) of a Support 17, and he@ therein by a looking pin i8 similar to the looking pin ll.

The saddle bracket 2 is formed; With a vertically disposed emi flange 2", seid iianffe tapering from itsnpper edge downwardlf to the socket 9 and having its outer fiat face arranged in e. plane extending longitudineliQ-f oie. the underrame. The support 3.7 com isessyertieeily disposed web, the inner face of which stands parallel to the outer face of the flange 2b and said web is tapered lupwardly from a relatively`broad hase 17a to the head 16, the hase 17a being secured to the upper part of a bolster hereinafter described. The link 13, in its oscillations about the trunnion 15, is therefore, at all times, maintained between two confining walls, the heads of the trunnions 10 and 15 practically engaging said walls and servingto prevent lateral movement of the tank. rom the drawings, and from the above description, it will be apparent that the tank is' held in floating cradles bodily supported directly at the Alower ends of a series of swinging links pivotally connected at their upper ends in rigid supports fixed to the car underframe, and that while these sup-vv porting links depend normally vertically, they are free tooscillate for permitting the desired 'end-wise movement of the tank.

When a hlowvis struck the end of the underframc, as in coupling, the underframe will move longitudinally beneath the tank causing the tank to swing on its supports and the oscillatory motion thus set up will als continue after the shock, and without effect upon rivet connection between the tank and its cradles, until the momentum of such oscillation is entirely spent and the tank hangs again in normal position.

The details of construction of the underframe are not essential elements of this invention except in sol far as they provide a substantial foundation for the. supports 17 vfixed to the upper surface thereof and any structure providing the necessary rigidity may be employed in connection with the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

The underframe structure illustrated comprises holsters 19, center sills 20, side sills 21, end sills 22, fioor plate 23, and suitable diagonal braces 24. Each of the holsters 19 comprises a centrally disposed web plate 25 with top reinforcing angles 26 and bottoni reinforcing angles 27, said web plates being fixed to the center sills by suitable angle brackets 28 and to the side sills by angle brackets 29. A bottom cover plate 30 extends beneath the center sill and is fixed to the under surfaces of the reinforcing angles 27. The usual center bearing plate 31 is fixed to the under surface of the cover plate 30 intermediate the ends thereof.

The holster diaphragm 25 is preferably arranged centrally beneath the median line of the super-posed tank supports, and supplementalbolster members 34, comprising diaphragms 35, are spaced equi-distant forward and rearward thereof,l at points suhstantially coincident with the forward and rearward edges of the supports 17, and each diaphragm 35 is provided with a reinforcfixed to the lower edgesv of the diaphragms -35 and suitable angle brackets 38 and 39 serve to connect saidl diaphragms to the side and center sills respectively. v

A suitable hed plate as 4:0, if desired, may he xed to the upper surface of the ioor plate 23, said bed plate extending from the supports 17, at one side of the car, across the center sills, and to the support 17 atvthe opposite side of the car, and extending beneath the bases 17a of said supports.

A guard rail as 41 may he employed to advantage for the protection of trainmen.

In practice the operation of this construc-' tion in maintaining the relationship between the tank and underframe is accomplished by yieldingly connecting the tank with the undcrframe below the center of gravity of said tank, and utilizing the fluctuating level of the liquid lading to maintain the equi librium of the tank relatively to the underframe and supports. In other words, if there he any liquid in the tank it will necessarily be above the suspension of the tank, as such suspension is located below or on a line with the hottomof the tank, or below the center of gravity thereof, and any hufl'-v ing or tension strain, any jar from track irregularities; or in fact, any extraneous jar to the underframe or tank, even the weight of a person on the tank, would tend, when there is any lading in the tank, to move the tank longitudinally, and by so doing the level of the fluid lading would he changed lO-G relatively to the bottom of the tank, or

would flow toward the end of the tank opposite the application of weight or shock,

with the consequent compensating action at ing corresponding to the weight or shock applied, and also a consequent limitation of the movement of the tank in a. direction away from the weight or shock, or as it might he termed, by a tendency to maintain the equilibrium of the tank by causing the center of-stability and the center of gravity to maintain themselves in the same vertical, plane relatively to the centers of support, or to the underframe.

I cla-im- 1. In a tank car, an underframe includingrigid holsters, a tank cradle pivotally connected with said underframe in vertical alinement with said holsters, and a tank resting in said cradle.

2. In a tank car, an underframe linclud ing rigid holsters, a pair of tank cradles supported above said underframe, means extending upwardly from said underframe lapping the opposite ends' of said cradles and having link connection with said cra.-

dles whereby said cradles are permitted a' of said cradles, means having pivotal connections therewith, and a ltank `resting in said cradle.

25. In a tank car, an underframe, a pair y of tank cradles supported above said underframe, supporting means extending upwardly from said underframe lapping the opposite ends of-said cradles and pivotal. connections between said cradles land supporting means, and a tank yresting in said cradles.

26. In a tank car, an underframe, rigid supports thereon, ioating cradles swingingly carried by said supports, a tank -resting in said cradles, 'and a reinforcing member within a tank adjacent said cradle.

27. In a tank car, an underframe comprising bolster-s, and independently movable tank cradles comprising pivoted links and rigid supports ixed to said holsters.

28. In a tank car, an underframe comprising bolsters, vertical tank supports, a

tank, and pivotal connections between said tank and said supports adapted to permit limited oscillation of the tank.

29. An under-frame including bolsters, rigid supports extending above the ,topplane of the holsters, links pivotally connectedwith said supports, cradles. carried by the links and a tank supported by and connecting said cradles.

30. In a tank car, an underframe comprising body bolste'rs, supporting means extending above the top planeof said bolsters, links carried by said supporting means, and

.cradles adapted to receive a tank supported by said links.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses. CHRISTOPHER FLINN.

Witnesses:

I. Gr. READING,

L. H. HOLLIS. 

